Getting Started with Join-In for Communicator 5

FAQ

What is Join-In?

  • Join-In is designed to allow AAC users enjoy the full experience of leading sites and apps. The current release of Join-In supports the following apps: Facebook, Facebook Messenger, WhatsApp, Instagram, Android Messages, Google Calendar, YouTube, Netflix, Spotify and Microsoft News (MSN).
  • Join-In users interact with the apps using their preferred Communicator 5 Accessibility method (eye-gaze tracking, switches, touch, etc.) and their preferred Communicator 5 keyboard. The user controls apps using Communicator 5 pages, typically located on the left side of the screen, while the apps use the browser, which occupies the rest of the screen. In some cases, Join-In allows eye-tracking and touch users to directly select from the browser area.
Join-In - Accessible Facebook
Join-In Options - Dwell Parameters

Before You Start

  • Make sure you have an Internet connection.
  • Make sure you have a valid license / subscription. If you are using a Tobii Dynavox I13 or I16 device, your device comes with a pre-installed license.
  • If you use a different device, and you’ve received a Join-In login and password, please login using the “Join-In login” page set. Login is required only the first time you use your device.
  • Use the “Join-In Options” page set to set up your accessibility preferences. With this page set you will be able to set your preferred accessibility method, and some of its parameters, like dwell time. The parameters set here, are active across all Join-In apps, but will not affect selection of Communicator 5 buttons.

First Time Use

  • General apps structure – all apps have a Menu button in the main page that leads to the app menu page. The menu page includes: (1) The main app related functions, (2) The Options button with app related options, (3) The Utilities button with all the recovery tools.
  • Using an app for the first time – Each Join-In app has an info or a login and info button in the first page (the login and info button will appear only if the app requires the user to log in). Click this button the first time you use each app to login (if needed), set up the app main parameters and proceed to the Training Cards page of the app.
    • The following apps require login and password: Facebook, Facebook Messenger, Instagram, Spotify, Netflix and Google Calendar. Although YouTube does not require you to login, you must use your Google account to browse your viewing history and get personal recommendations. Make sure that you have the login name and password for the app you want to use, available. Login is required only the first time you use the app on a device.
    • WhatsApp and Android messages (SMS) will require scanning a QR code on your screen, the first time you use the app on your device.
    • Some apps require specific permissions for unique functions like using the device camera and microphone. These permissions are granted by Join-In automatically. You can review a list of permissions granted to apps in the Training Cards page of each app.app 
Accessible Netflix login page
Accessible Facebook - Utilities

The Utilities page

The Utilities page appears in all apps. It is accessible by clicking the Utilities button on the Menu page of all apps. The functionality of this page includes zoom in and out, some recovery options and tools to manage the different windows on the screen. This page is a very important “troubleshooting” resource.

  • Zoom In and Zoom Out – these buttons change the zoom factor of the browser window. The initial zoom is 100%. Change the zoom factor if you want to see more, or less content on the screen. Once you changed it, your zoom factor will be saved and used by the active app until changed again.
  • Space – this button sends Space as a keyboard shortcut to the browser.
  • Recover – Use this button when, for some reason, you “lose” the window of the active app. Clicking this button will bring the app window back to focus, or, if it was closed by mistake – open it in a new window.
  • Previous Field and Next Field – these buttons allow you to navigate the links on the browser page. These buttons are useful mainly when an unwanted message box pops up. Join-In tries to filter out automatically all annoying messages, however, if such message is not closed automatically, you can click the Previous Field and Next Field buttons to navigate to the button on the message that closes it, and then click Enter.
  • ESC – this button sends Escape as a keyboard shortcut to the browser.
  • Enter – this button sends Enter as a keyboard shortcut to the browser.
  • Window Mode – click this button if you want the app to exit Full Screen mode, so that you can get access to the device desktop.
  • Close Window – click this button to close the active browser window. This is useful when too many windows opened while using Join-In.
The YouTube table before clicking "Select". Only the highlighted arrow is selectable
The same table after clicking "Select". All videos are selectable

Direct Selection

In some cases Join-In allows direct selection from the browser area. For example – selecting a YouTube video, selecting a post to view on Instagram, selecting a contact in WhatsApp etc. 

To enable direct selection, click the Select button. Selectable items on the screen will become highlighted. Note that if the table includes arrows, the arrows are always selectable.

Exiting Apps

There are two buttons that can be used to go to Communicator 5 Home Page – Close and Exit (the big button) and Exit Only (the small button). 

  • Close and Exit – use this button, if you want to close the app window, and go to the Home page.
  • Exit Only – use this button to go to the Home page and minimize the app window. Click it only if you need to keep the app open, e.g. – if you want a Spotify song to play in the background, or if you wish to return later to the current location in Facebook. Otherwise – use Close and Exit, and avoid having too many open windows.
Accessible Facebook - Exit Options

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

Getting Started Related FAQ

  1. A Windows 10 device.
  2. Communicator 5, version 5.5.4 or higher.

Join-In default Page set Settings is “Dwell”. To change the dwell parameters –

  1. Open the page set “Join-In Options” and click Accessibility Settings.
  2. Click the parameter you want to change –
      • Toggle Eye Gaze Dwell – this parameter needs to be on for both eye gaze and head-mouse users.
      • Dwell Duration – click to select the dwell duration when selecting directly from the browser area is enabled (direct selection).
      • Dwell Color – click to change the Dwell Color when using direct selection.
      • Selection Color – click to change the highlight color of the item that is selected when working with arrows.
      • Close Table – click if you opened a table (times or colors) and you wish to close it without selecting.
  3. Click Back and then Apply Changes.

Note: the values you define here will apply to all the direct selection areas in all Join-In apps. It will not affect the accessibility parameters on the Communicator 5 pages.

  1. Open the page set “Join-In Options”.
  2. Click Page Set Settings.
  3. Click Arrows and then Back.
  4. Click Apply Changes.

Arrows will appear on all the pages where you are required to select an item from the browser area (direct selection) and will allow you to navigate to the desired item and select it.

  1. Open the page set “Join-In Options”.
  2. Click Page Set Settings.
  3. Click Touch and then Back.
  4. Click Apply Changes.
  • If you are using Dwell selection, your settings should be exactly like an eye-gaze user, except of the Toggle Eye Gaze Dwell parameter, which needs to be turned off.
  • If you are using Click selection, your settings should exactly like the settings for Touch users.

Changes made to the Accessibility Settings affect the way you select items directly from the browser area (direct selection, for example – when selecting a YouTube video). It does not affect the way you select from the Communicator 5 pages of the Join-In apps.

Changes made to the Page Set Settings affect the way you select items directly from the browser area (direct selection, for example – when selecting a YouTube video). It does not affect the way you select from the Communicator 5 pages of the Join-In apps.

Questions Related to all Applications

  1. Go to you Communicator 5 Home Page.
  2. Open the page set – “Join-In Close All” and click Close All
  1. Each accessible app has a Menu. Click it and then click Utilities.
  2. In the Utilities screen click Close Window.
  1. Each accessible app has a Menu. Click it and then click Utilities.
  2. In the Utilities screen click Recover. This should renew the connection between the Communicator 5 buttons and the app. If that does not work, exit to Communicator 5 Home Page by selecting Close and Exit, and start the app again.

In most of the apps you can have Communicator 5 read the content for you (automatically or manually) and you can control the font size.

  1. Click the Menu button. In some of the apps you will find the Turn Auto Read On button there, in some you will need to select Options to get to this button.
  2. The same goes for the Turn On Text Enlargement button. Turn it on if you want the text to be enlarged.
  3. If you want the text to be enlarged more, click Additional Options, and change the Font Size.
  4. In all apps you can also go the Utilities page (Menu and then Utilities), and either zoom in or zoom out. Your zoom level will be saved for that app.
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